Wikipedia:IRC help disclaimer
Before you continue, you should know...
- Live help is offered via a publicInternet Relay Chat(IRC) channel. This channel isnot privateor one-on-one. Multiple users might be receiving help at the same time, and you will all be able to see everybody's messages. Messages which are intended for you will often start with your nickname (visible in the bottom-left corner when connected).
- Joining the help channelmay disclose yourIP addressto other users. Clicking the button below will redirect you to a third-party website which has a different privacy policy than Wikipedia.
- If you have a common question, it is probably already answered in theFrequently Asked Questionssection below.
- Help is provided by volunteers, so itmighttake a few minutes before someone replies to your question. Try leaving the chat window open for a bit. If you don't get a reply before you need to leave, consider asking your question at theTeahouseorother support venuesinstead.
- This service isonlyfor assistance withediting or using the English language Wikipedia.
How do I ask a question?
Once you join, just type out your question and send it. For example, if you are wondering what you can put on youruser page,you should typeWhat can I put on my user page?There is no need to ask if anyone is around or say that you have a question, which usually just delays your answer. If you do not receive a response within a few minutes, you can get the attention of helpers by typing!helper.
Can you help me with...?
Probably! But bear in mind that the IRC channel is only for questions aboutediting the English Wikipedia.Any other questions, such as if you need to find information about a topic, or help with other things, should go tothe Reference Deskand not the IRC help channel.
Can you review my draft?
Please be aware that all drafts will be reviewed when a volunteer editor is available to do it. Drafts are not necessarily reviewed in order of submission and the more diverse the draft, the longer it may take to be reviewed. There are currently 3,073 pending submissions awaiting a review.
Can you write an article for me?
No, but we can point you in the right direction to get started. Check out theTeahouse– a great place to help new editors – and ensure that the subject of your article satisfies thenotability requirements.If you really don't want to write an article, you can request it atRequested articles.
How can I keep my article from being deleted?
Articles that do not comply withWikipedia's policiesare deleted. The most common reasons for deletion are notability issues, advertising and copyright violations. Live help volunteers can help make sure that your article meets Wikipedia's requirements but you should read the sections below first, especially if your article has already been deleted once.
How do you decide what's notable?
Notability is determined, essentially, by what reliable sources say about a subject. Basically, whether the subject has been significantly "noted", rather than simply being potentially "noteworthy".Sources need to be independent of the subject of the article, with a reputation for fact-checking and oversight, because sources close to the subject might naturally be biased or promotional.
Every subject has specific guidelines in addition to general notability. If the subject of your article is a person, you might want to briefly look at the guidelines forpeopleandliving people.Biographies of living persons are held to a higher standard, and need to be completely factual, and backed by the most reliable sources. If your subject is an organization or business, you will want to check out theguideline on organizations.If you need help in figuring out what makes a source reliable, theguideline on determining reliable sourcescan help.
What about this other article?
When their article is deleted, people often point to an existing article, about a similar subject. This article may have similar problems and is used as a reason that their article should be kept. This is the "what about x?"argument, and it is not a good one. There are things on Wikipedia that shouldn't be, adding another article that shouldn't isn't going to help that.
Why was my draft declined?
There should be a reason on the draft's page in a pink box or onyour talk page.Live help volunteers can help if you can't find the reason or still don't understand why it was declined.